Chennai: The newly elected Speaker of the Tamil Nadu assembly, J C D Prabhakar, on Tuesday described Chief Minister Vijay as a 'living MGR', referring to the late AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, and said that Vijay had scripted a 'silent revolution' in the state by coming to power with the backing of ordinary people.
In his maiden speech after being unanimously elected, Prabhakar said Vijay's victory was powered by youngsters and those who wanted a corruption-free government. 'People wanted change, and they believed only Vijay could deliver it. What happened in Tamil Nadu was a silent revolution. It was a Vijay wave, a victory wave, a whistle wave,' he said.
Prabhakar said he had long yearned to see the rise of another leader like former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa after their deaths. 'Today, I see MGR in the form of Vijay. He is the living MGR,' he said, drawing loud thumping of desks from treasury benches. He also praised Vijay for meeting opposition leaders after assuming office and setting a 'new political culture'.
Referring to the government's announcement on the closure of liquor shops, Prabhakar said Vijay had shown commitment towards creating a 'drug-free Tamil Nadu'. The speaker repeatedly stressed that he would function without bias and uphold the dignity of the house. 'After occupying this chair, I will not belong to any party. I will function as the speaker of the entire house,' he said.
Prabhakar assured equal opportunity to both ruling and opposition benches and said differing opinions were the strength of democracy. 'The people have not sent us here for political confrontation, but to find solutions to their problems. The voice of opposition parties and small parties must be heard in the house. Their rights will be protected,' he said.
Quoting leaders including former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, architect of the Indian constitution B R Ambedkar, former chief minister C N Annadurai, and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Prabhakar said neutrality was the defining quality of a Speaker. 'If a person walking on a rope tilts either to the left or right, he will fall. Similarly, a speaker would fail if he loses neutrality,' he said.
